The nights are most definitely drawing in with the need for head torches now ever present!

This was the last fish pass survey of the year, with the clocks changing soon, making it difficult to see the passes and if they are obstructed by anything.

We got to 3 passes last night and also had a further afield contribution from @James Smith who sent us some photos in the daylight from Meadowhall a bit further down the river. Thanks James!

Get your head torches charged up for the next one folks and we'll see you there!

Happy running! :)

Mr M recently had someone out to look at his electrics, but they couldn't provide him the new lightbulbs he needed for his living room. So, he bought the replacements, but just needed someone to fit them for him. That's where I came in.

Up on a ladder, bulbs in hand, it was barely a 10 minute job to change out 6 bulbs. I washed the glass fittings whilst I was at it, since they were full of dust and bugs. A bit of chit chat along the way about his recent birthday and a badger in the garden and before I knew it, it was job done!

There was an Abundance of volunteers this Wednesday lunchtime to harvest apples with Friends of Whirlowbrook Park, and thank goodness, because what a crop!

We met Nicola and other "friends of" at the entrance to the park and were led to the recently unearthed orchard, where there were 5 or so apple trees that had been hidden and not harvested for an estimated 30 years, plus lots of newly planted baby fruit trees.

Celine kicked things off with a wassail, blessing the trees with a verse, some apple cider vinegar and toast(!)

We then set to the usual work of clearing windfalls, getting in with telescopic pickers and then the fun of shaking the trees and catching fruit with a big tarpaulin. Yoseph was our intrepid tree-climber today, taking on the branch shaking from the top.

The bumper crop was quality control sorted into firsts, seconds and thirds. Most of the thirds were left for nature and, after we took as many as we wanted, the firsts and seconds will be distributed to good causes.